The Rejection of The Jews

Matt.11:[1] And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.[2] Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,[3] And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?[4] Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:[5] The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.[6] And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.[7] And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?[8] But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.[9] But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.[10] For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.[11] Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.[12] And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.[13] For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.[14] And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.[15] He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The prophets prophesied until John.John was a fulfillment of the voice in the wilderness, IF the Jews accepted his word and Jesus. Then the kingdom would have been established physically on earth at this time (VS ) but rather than accepting his preaching they placed him in prison (violence) and eventually he was put to death.There were no prophecies or promises made to the Gentiles other than they would see the light of the Jewish King which could have been fulfilled if the Lord had established His earthly kingdom on His first coming.

Matt.12:[1] At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.[2] But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.[3] But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;[4] How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?[5] Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?[6] But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.[7] But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.[8] For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.[9] And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:[10] And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.[11] And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?[12] How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.[13] Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.[14] Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

The die is cast for Israel as a nation when the rulers begin to commune on how to kill Jesus. After their rejection Jesus then began to speak to them in parables from Mt 13 on and not coincidentally Jesus begins to teach the Apostles of His death and subsequent Resurrection. Also, we find the only mention of the church in the gospel of Matthew after the rulers begin to plot Jesus’ death. This plotting culminated in the Crucifixion of the Lord.

Some time after the Resurrection the Jews again had an opportunity to receive His testimony. As he was finished Stephen sees Jesus stand as if to ready Himself to return. The Jews were convicted because of what they had done but rather than confess and forsake their sin they killed the first Christian martyr.

Acts 6:9-7:60

The Jews begin a campaign to destroy Christianity and chose a man named Saul to execute the persecution.Saul in Acts 9 is converted by an appearance of Jesus Himself on the road to Damascus.Peter is offered an opportunity to extend the ministry to the Gentiles but he is reluctant even after Cornelius is converted.3 times Peter had denied Christ and 3 times he rejects eating that which he calls unclean. (Acts 10-11)In Acts 11 Peter recounts the conversion of Cornelius after his fellow Christians berate him for being around Gentiles. They repent and acknowledge that God indeed is saving Gentiles though they have only been preaching to Jews (11:18-19)In Acts 11:20-21 we find they finally proclaim the Resurrection to Grecians in Antioch and a great number of Gentiles are saved.Acts 11:22-30 We find Saul is brought to Antioch and then dispatched from there becoming the first Christian missionary to witness to all the salvation of the grace of God.

In his ministry the Apostle Paul makes 3 different offers to the Jews. The first was to the Jews in Asia.

Jews in Asia (Antioch ) A Roman capital it like Rome was divided among seven hills. Acts 13:14-46

Jews in Europe (Corinth) Major city of GreeceActs.18:1-6

Jews of Rome ( the capital of the known world)Acts 28:1-31

God is not completely through with Israel as a nation for we find in Romans chapter 11 God will save them as a people.Romans 11:25-36

The Jewish rejection of the Lord enabled the Gentiles to grafted into the tree and become recipients of the grace of God.Romans 11:11-24Deuteronomy 32:21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.[22] For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.[23] I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.[24] They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.[25] The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.[26] I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:[27] Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.[28] For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.[29] O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end![30] How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?[31] For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.[32] For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:[33] Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.[34] Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?[35] To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.[36] For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.[37] And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,[38] Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.[39] See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.[40] For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.[41] If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.[42] I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.[43] Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.[44] And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.

We are clearly told in the writings of the Apostle Paul the age of grace to the Gentiles is the provoking to jealous of the Jewish people. As we see in Deuteronomy God still promises after this to save His people and His land.